A Natural History for Young People: Our Animal Friends in Their Native Homes: including mammals, birds and fishesHumphreys, Phebe Westcott
History
A Natural History for Young People: Our Animal Friends in Their Native Homes: including mammals, birds and fishes
Humphreys, Phebe Westcott
Natural history -- Juvenile literature
They generally keep on the topmost branches of the highest trees to keep
out of the way of the Serpents, of which they are very much afraid. Even
when tamed and brought to this country, the sight of the most harmless
Snake will fill them with terror.
These Monkeys are called weepers from their plaintive cry. Usually their
voice is soft; when excited or angry it becomes loud and pitiful; when
teased it keeps up a kind of plaintive wailing, which has given it its
name of Weeping Monkey, although they have also been called Musk Monkeys
at times, because of their musky odor.
These Monkeys have short round heads with the skull projecting
backwards, and many of them have their faces bordered with long hair;
others have long hair on top of the head, and in one species, called the
Horned Monkey, this hair forms two black tufts, having the appearance of
horns.
All the Weeping Monkeys are gentle and easily tamed, and perform many
amusing tricks, such as firing off a gun, and sweeping with a small
broom. They will break a nut between two stones when it is too strong to
be cracked with their teeth, and show many signs of unusual
intelligence.
THE LEMURS, OR FOX-HEADED MONKEYS.
[Illustration: LEMUR OR FOX-HEADED MONKEYS.]
Some very curious animals are found in the Lemur family. The Sloth
Monkeys, the Indris, the Aye-Ayes and the ugly big-eyed Tarsier, are all
related to the Lemurs, and some look more like fairy-tale monsters than
harmless, timid, little animals of the Monkey family.
What are known as the “Lemurs proper,” or the Fox-Headed Monkeys, are
the best known of this family. Their hair is thick, soft and woolly,
their ears short and velvety, and their tails long and bushy. They have
very large eyes, and queer hands with flattened nails.
Nearly all the different members of the Lemur family live in Madagascar
and the surrounding islands. They like to live in companies or troops
among the trees, and their food is mainly the fruits of these trees; but
they will also eagerly catch and devour insects. They are very sociable
animals, and like to collect in numerous bands; and they sleep in the
highest parts of the trees where no harm can come to them.
Carnivora—Flesh-Eating Quadrupeds.
[Illustration: SLOTH BEAR.]
THE Carnivorous animals form the largest and most powerful family of
Mammals that live on the land; and in this family are also included many
water Mammals. Although this extensive family contains animals that are
very different in size and form, yet they are all alike in their
flesh-eating habits, in possessing strong sharp claws, and three kinds
of teeth, the incisors, molars and canines; the latter being sharp and
powerful fangs used for seizing and holding their struggling prey.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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